Multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages



S. HESELOV July 13, 1965 MULTIPLE BIN'DISPENS i NG RACK FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGES Filed June 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Shut 1 v M 5 5 m m A m m% m :j A 6 m m 5 7. m fl E 5y ml r an ?i E u m :(IWJM m 3 3 July 13, 1965 s. HESELOV 3,

MULTIPLE an: msrnnsme RACK FOR cxeanm's racmens Filed June 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TF5 E I INVENTOR. Szmon Heselov BY ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,194,433 MULTIPLE BIN DISPENSING RACK FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGES Simon Heselov, 415 Gypsy Lane, Youngstown, @hio Filed June 27, 1963, Ser. No. 290,990 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-92) This invention relates to a dispensing rack which may be attached to a cash register and provide a convenient, attractive display of cigarette packages.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a lightweight, attractive, multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dispensing rack for cigarette packages which is formed of a plurality of molded plastic components which may be assembled and disassembled to facilitate cleaning.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages which will hold a large variety of diiferent brands of cigarette packages as well as various sizes of cigarette packages.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages wherein the majority of the bottom area of the bottom package in each rack is exposed so that the package may be easily grasped and removed from the rack.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages wherein a plurality of molded plastic individual bin sections are detachably connected to a supporting frame and arranged so that their relative positions on the supporting frame may be changed to provide a rack with a customized bin position arrangement.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple bin dispensing rack wherein the frame portion thereof is arranged to act as a peg board in receiving peg board hooks on the back thereof from which articles of merchandise may be suspended.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages wherein the configuration of the lower portions of each of the bin portions thereof project the bottommost package in each bin forwardly, outwardly and slightly upwardly to present it in a position in which it may be easily grasped and removed from the rack.

The multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages disclosed herein comprises a solution to a problem which came into existence with the advent of the self-service store, or supermarket as it is frequently called, and wherein the supplies of cigarettes for sale were of necessity moved to a position adjacent the check-out counters or cash register locations, as the case may be.

The area of the check-out counters or cash registers in any such self-service store or supermarket is necessarily limited and various proposals have been made to provide different forms of shelves, racks, etc. adjacent these areas which would be readily accessible to the supermarket or store personnel but which would be relatively inaccessible to the purchasing public, while at the same time it is in close relation to the position of the purchaser and thereby enables the purchaser to see the merchandise for sale.

Proposals have been made to form racks of metal and/or wire and position the same on the counters adjacent the cash registers and such racks have been mounted on the cash registers. However, the racks have been incapable of holding a sufiicient supply of cigarettes. They have been heavy, bulky and precariously secured to the cash register and have therefore been unsatisfactory. They have required considerable time to re-load, which 3?,IQ4A33 Patented July 13, 1965 'ice is objectionable as the space around the cash register or checkout counters is of necessity occupied by customers paying for their purchases at such time as the store is open for business.

The present invention relates to a multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages which solves most, if not all, of the problems which have been occasioned, as aforesaid, by other devices, and provides an attractive, readily demountable and easily disassembled, lightweight device which will handle all of the various brands of cigarettes offered for sale in the various sized packages. Most importantly, the device will enable the cigarette packages to be grasped and removed from the rack very easily.

A somewhat similar construction is disclosed in my US. Patent No. 3,010,606 of November 28, 1961, in which a plurality of individual partitions and means for holding them in desired assembly to form bins is disclosed.

As disclosed herein, the rack is formed of a plurality of molded plastic parts, preferably of transparent plastic, and so arranged that the various parts may be disassembled, cleaned and the rack re-loaded in a minimum amount of time. The molded plastic parts comprise individual bins each of which is complete.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the multiple bin dispenser rack for cigarette packages.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of one of the molded plastic bins seen in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a back view of the molded plastic bin seen in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the molded plastic bin seen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the flat portion of the rack.

FIGURE 6 is a side view of a portion of the rack including the frame, one of the bins and a peg board book.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that the dispensing rack for cigarette packages comprises a vertically disposed main panel 10 having integrally formed oppositely disposed sides 11 and a bottom portion 12. The sides 11, 11 preferably taper outwardly from the top to the bottom and with the bottom 12 provide rigid support for the vertically disposed main panel 10 which has, as may be seen by referring to FIGURE 5 of the drawings wherein a section thereof is illustrated, a plurality of rectangular apertures 13, 13 and projecting brackets 14, 14 together with a plurailty of pairs of apertures 15, 15 on which peg board hooks 16 may be detachably positioned. The plurality of rectangular apertures 13 and adjacent brackets 14 which are on the front of the main panel 10 of the device provide for the mounting of a plurality of individual molded plastic bins generally indicated by the numerals 17, 17 and each of which, as illustrated in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, has a pair of spaced back portions 18, 18, oppositely disposed side portions 19, 19 with forwardly projecting extensions 20, 20 and a front wall 21 joining the ends of the extensions 20, 20. The lower sections of the back portions 18, 13 curve forwardly as at 22, 22 to form spaced bottom portions 23, 23 each of which extends forwardly and terminates with projecting ends 24, 24.

It will thus be seen that a stack of cigarette packages positioned on the inclined bottom sections 23, 23 will be supported thereon by the projecting ends 24, 24 with a relatively wide space between these supporting sections so that the cigarette package may be readily grasped. The lowermost package in the stack will be positioned forwardly of the other packages in the stack due to the curved sections 22, 22 which move the packs forwardly as they reach the lowermost position in the bin. The

cigarette packages above the lowermost portion are-pre vented from moving forward by the front wall 21 which also provides a convenient location for afiixing indicia identifying the particular kind of cigarette packages in each bin.

In orderthat the individual bins, some of which are taller than the others as may be seen by referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, may be affixed to the main panel 10 of the rack, each of the bins has a plurality of offset downwardly depending hooks 25, 25 thereon as best seen in FIGURES'Z and 3 of the drawings which hooks 25, 25 are adapted to register with the apertures 13 and brackets 14 heretofore referred to.

1 It will thus be observed that the rectangular apertures 13 are provided so that the brackets 14 can be integrally molded with the vertically disposed main panel 10 and it will also occur to those skilled in the art that the rectangular apertures provide suitable tolerance for irregularities in molding which may occur so that the individual bins 17 will always mount on any of the appropriate brackets 14 and at the same time provide clearance for the plurality of peg board hooks 16 as seen in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings.

It will be observed that the point of contact between each of the individual bins 17 and the. main panel 10 is through the brackets 14 and since these'are positioned in vertically spaced relation on the main panel 10 each of the bins is held securely in a removable manner.

By referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings,-it will be seen that a simple grouping of the plurality of different sized individual bins 17 may be seen wherein the uppermost row of bins are relatively short and arranged so as to hold eight or ten packages while some of the bins in the lower row are capable of holding twice this number of cigarette packages. The dispensing rack for cigarettes most frequently called for can be given preferred locations where they are most conveniently reached, and those in lesser, demand can. be positioned in the least accessible areas of the rack.

It will occur. to those skilled in the art that depending clamping members may be secured to the rack structure and specifically to the bottom 12 thereof so that the rack may be positioned on top of a cash register as is common in supermarket check-out counter locations. In such positions the formation of the pairs of apertures in the main panel 10 permits the peg board hooks to be positioned on the back and thus provide additional display space for other merchandise.

Itwill thus be seen that a multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages has been disclosed which meets the several objects of my invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

A multiple bin dispensing rack for cigarette packages including a vertically disposed main panel having a fiat front with a plurality of apertures therein, a plurality of spaced pairs of projecting U-shaped barckets formed in parallel rows on the flat front of said main panel, a

' horizontally disposed bottom and vertically disposed sides on said main panel and a plurality of vertically positioned removably disposed individual open front bins positioned on said flat front of said main panel'in spaced relation thereto, each of said plurality of individual open front bins having horizontally spaced vertically standing flat back portions, downturned projecting hooks on said flat back portions of said bins' of a size for registry with said projecting U-shaped brackets, each of said plurality of individual open frontbins having horizontally spaced,

- vertically standing side portions and forwardly, outwardly and upwardly curving extensions on the lower endsof said spaced back portions defining spaced bottom sections, the forward ends of which extend beyond said side portions, each of said individual open front bins having forward extensions on its side portions interconnected with cigarette packages may thus be easily tailor made to suit 7 the requirements of the particular location in which it is used so that the cigarettes in large demand may be accommodated in several large bins and those in small demand carried in'the smaller bins. Additionally, the

an integral horizontal strip-like front portion;

References Cited by the Examiner V UNITED STATES PATENTS 409,055 8/80 Mitchell 221.283 2,744,634 5/56 Conley 221-311 2,826,471 3/58 Fonda 22 1'3 11 2,884,221 4/59 I Messier.

3,010,606 11/61 Heselov 22l92 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner. 

